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Is First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF (FICS) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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The First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF (FICS - Free Report) made its debut on 12/15/2020, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Foreign Large Growth ETF category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.
Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.
Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by First Trust Advisors. FICS has been able to amass assets over $210.33 million, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Foreign Large Growth ETF. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the INTERNATIONAL DEVLPD CAPITAL STRENGTH ID before fees and expenses.
The International Developed Capital Strength Index provides exposure to well-capitalized companies in the developed markets outside of the U.S. with strong market positions that have the potential to provide their stockholders with a greater degree of stability and performance over time.
Cost & Other Expenses
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for FICS are 0.70%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
FICS's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 2.38%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
Taking into account individual holdings, Gea Group Ag (G1A.GY) accounts for about 2.39% of the fund's total assets, followed by Royal Bank Of Canada (RY.CN) and Astrazeneca Plc (AZN.LN).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 22.65% of FICS's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF return is roughly 12.69% so far, and is up roughly 2.06% over the last 12 months (as of 09/29/2025). FICS has traded between $33.47 $40.22 in this past 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 0.76 and standard deviation of 14.15% for the trailing three-year period. With about 57 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Growth ETF segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.
Invesco Dorsey Wright Developed Markets Momentum ETF (PIZ) tracks Dorsey Wright Developed Markets Technical Leaders Index and the Invesco S&P International Developed Quality ETF (IDHQ) tracks S&P Quality Developed ex US LargeMidCap Index. Invesco Dorsey Wright Developed Markets Momentum ETF has $449.01 million in assets, Invesco S&P International Developed Quality ETF has $509.89 million. PIZ has an expense ratio of 0.80% and IDHQ changes 0.29%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Foreign Large Growth ETF
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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Is First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF (FICS) a Strong ETF Right Now?
The First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF (FICS - Free Report) made its debut on 12/15/2020, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Foreign Large Growth ETF category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.
Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.
Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is managed by First Trust Advisors. FICS has been able to amass assets over $210.33 million, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Foreign Large Growth ETF. This particular fund seeks to match the performance of the INTERNATIONAL DEVLPD CAPITAL STRENGTH ID before fees and expenses.
The International Developed Capital Strength Index provides exposure to well-capitalized companies in the developed markets outside of the U.S. with strong market positions that have the potential to provide their stockholders with a greater degree of stability and performance over time.
Cost & Other Expenses
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for FICS are 0.70%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.
FICS's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 2.38%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
ETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
Taking into account individual holdings, Gea Group Ag (G1A.GY) accounts for about 2.39% of the fund's total assets, followed by Royal Bank Of Canada (RY.CN) and Astrazeneca Plc (AZN.LN).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 22.65% of FICS's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF return is roughly 12.69% so far, and is up roughly 2.06% over the last 12 months (as of 09/29/2025). FICS has traded between $33.47 $40.22 in this past 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 0.76 and standard deviation of 14.15% for the trailing three-year period. With about 57 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ETF is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Foreign Large Growth ETF segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.
Invesco Dorsey Wright Developed Markets Momentum ETF (PIZ) tracks Dorsey Wright Developed Markets Technical Leaders Index and the Invesco S&P International Developed Quality ETF (IDHQ) tracks S&P Quality Developed ex US LargeMidCap Index. Invesco Dorsey Wright Developed Markets Momentum ETF has $449.01 million in assets, Invesco S&P International Developed Quality ETF has $509.89 million. PIZ has an expense ratio of 0.80% and IDHQ changes 0.29%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Foreign Large Growth ETF
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.